BOSTON, Massachusetts, November 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- Study presented at American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 2012 shows high sustained virological response (SVR) in HCV/HIV co-infected patients
receiving INCIVO(R) (telaprevir)-based regimen -
Janssen Infectious Diseases-Diagnostics BVBA (Janssen) today presented results from a new phase 2 study which shows that an INCIVO(R) (telaprevir)-based regimen was effective in achieving a sustained virological response at 24 weeks (SVR24) in patients co-infected with both genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV (HCV/HIV) compared to patients receiving a placebo with the standard HCV treatment, peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (74 vs. 45 percent).[1]
An estimated 130 to 210 million people are infected with HCV worldwide[2], with HCV/HIV co-infections averaging about 40 percent of HCV patients in Europe.[3] People co-infected with HCV/HIV have more rapid fibrosis progression and liver disease than patients with HCV alone.[3] Chronic HCV infections can lead to end-stage liver disease, which is a major cause of death in HCV/HIV co-infected patients.[3] Despite the added health consequences of co-infection, only a small proportion of HCV/HIV co-infected patients receive treatment for their hepatitis.[3]
"The new data further demonstrate the potential efficacy and safety of telaprevir when used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin in HCV/HIV co-infected patients. New effective treatment regimens are particularly important for this patient group due to their high risk of rapidly developing liver complications," said investigator, Kenneth E. Sherman, M.D., of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
The phase 2 study was a two-part randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, trial of telaprevir with a standard HCV treatment combination of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (PR) in previously untreated patients with genotype-1 chronic HCV/HIV co-infection. The study treated a total of 60 HCV/HIV co-infected patients who did or did not receive a concomitant stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen.[1] During the study, no patients receiving a telaprevir-based regimen experienced HIV RNA breakthroughs and their CD4 T-cell count percentage remained unchanged.[1]
The safety and tolerability of a telaprevir-based regimen for treating HCV in HCV/HIV co-infected patients were comparable to that previously observed in HCV mono-infected patients.[1] Adverse events that occurred more frequently (>10 percent difference) in HCV/HIV co-infected patients receiving telaprevir and PR compared to HCV/HIV co-infected patients taking PR alone included pruritus (itchiness), headache, nausea, rash and dizziness.[1]
"Now that ART for people living with HIV has improved so vastly over the years in controlling their HIV, it has become increasingly important to address the consequences of chronic HCV infection in patients co-infected with HCV/HIV. Janssen remains committed to addressing the unmet needs of patients and increasing the availability of new treatment options for patient groups who have been largely underserved until now", said Alessandra Baldini, Medical Affairs Director, Janssen.
The analysis of the data from this study, AASLD Abstract Final ID: 54, will be submitted for peer-review publication.
Additional telaprevir data being presented at AASLD (http://www.aasld.org/lm2012 )includes:
- Non-inferior SVR rates in previously untreated genotype-1 HCV patients
receiving a telaprevir-based regimen twice-daily versus every eight hours.[4] Abstract
(Final ID: LB-8)
- Telaprevir Global Early Access Programme efficacy and safety data regarding
treatment among genotype-1 HCV patients with severe fibrosis or compensated
cirrhosis.[5]Abstract (Final ID: LB-15)
- Factors predictive of anemia development in treatment-experienced patients
receiving telaprevir plus PR in the REALIZE trial.[6] Abstract (Final ID: 771)
- Rate of disappearance of telaprevir-resistant variants using clonal and
population sequence data from Phase 3 studies.[7] Abstract (Final ID: 756)
- Evaluation of liver and plasma HCV RNA kinetics and telaprevir levels in
genotype-1 HCV patients treated with telaprevir using serial fine needle
aspirates.[8]Abstract (Final ID: 215)
- Deep sequencing of the HCV NS3/4A region confirms low prevalence of
telaprevir-resistant variants.[9] Abstract (Final ID: 1091)
About INCIVO(R)
INCIVO(R) (telaprevir), in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, is indicated for the treatment of genotype-1 chronic HCV in adult patients with compensated liver disease (including cirrhosis) who are treatment naive, and who have previously been treated with interferon alfa (pegylated or non pegylated) alone or in combination with ribavirin, including relapsers, partial responders and null responders.[10] INCIVO(R) is a small molecule, selective inhibitor of the HCV serine protease, and a member of the new class of medicine for the treatment of genotype-1 chronic HCV, direct acting antivirals (DAAs). Unlike previous treatments, DAAs act directly on viral enzymes and prevent the virus from replicating. INCIVO(R) was approved by the European Commission on 19 September 2011.
Telaprevir was developed by Janssen Infectious Diseases - Diagnostics BVBA, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, in collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Vertex) and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma). Janssen has rights to commercialize telaprevir in Europe, South America, Australia, the Middle East and certain other countries. Vertex has rights to commercialize telaprevir in North America where it is being marketed under the brand name INCIVEK[TM]. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma has rights to commercialize telaprevir in Japan and certain Far East countries where it is being marketed as TELAVIC(R).
Important Safety Information
Please see full Summary of Product Characteristics or visit http://www.emea.europa.eu for more details.
The overall safety profile of telaprevir is based on the Phase 2/3 clinical development programme containing 2,641 patients who received a telaprevir-based regimen. In clinical trials, the incidence of adverse events of at least moderate intensity was higher in the telaprevir group than in the placebo group (both groups receiving peginterferon alfa and ribavirin). The most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 5.0%) of at least grade 2 in severity were anemia, rash, pruritus, nausea, and diarrhoea during the telaprevir treatment phase, and the most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 1.0%) of at least Grade 3 were anemia, rash, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, pruritus, and nausea.[10]
Rash events were reported in 55% of patients with a telaprevir-based regimen compared to 33% of patients treated with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin only and more than 90% of rashes were of mild or moderate severity. Severe rashes were reported with telaprevir combination treatment in 4.8% of patients. Rash led to discontinuation of telaprevir alone in 5.8% of patients and 2.6% of patients discontinued telaprevir combination treatment for rash events compared to none of those receiving peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.[10]
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